Blog posts by FLOW team and guest writers
The role of indigenous cultures in sustainably living in relationship with wetlands is the theme of World Wetlands Day, February 2. In Michigan and the Great Lakes watershed, the theme has special relevance. For countless generations, the indigenous peoples of what is now called the State of Michigan have been sustained by – and have… Read more »
January 28, 2026 Lansing, Mich. – Today in the Michigan Senate, Sen. Sam Singh (D-28) introduced legislation to establish the state’s first-ever comprehensive framework for the oversight and maintenance of onsite wastewater treatment systems, also known as septic systems. The legislation (SB 771) will modernize Michigan’s outdated approach to septic system oversight, and protect the… Read more »
Download Flow’s reply brief (PDF) Traverse City, Mich. — On January 23, Flow Water Advocates (“Flow”) filed its reply to the arguments raised by Enbridge Limited Energy LLC, the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC), and other Appellees in Flow’s Michigan Supreme Court case challenging the MPSC’s issuance of a permit to the company for its… Read more »
Download PDF At issue: The rapid rise of data centers in our communities Data centers are multiplying across America in response to increases in computing intensity, including the growing use of artificial intelligence. Significant growth in cloud computing, big data analytics, and cryptomining also contributes to demand for data centers. Viewed as the next job-creating… Read more »
On January 5, 2026, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition (HOW), a group of organizations (including Flow Water Advocates) that are committed to protecting water resources and communities across the Great Lakes and the Midwest region, submitted comments to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to… Read more »
Register for the virtual public hearing on February 3, 6pm: Register here Learn more about the proposed permit: Download the fact sheet On February 3, The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) will hold a virtual public hearing to give the public an opportunity to provide comments. Read Flow’s submitted comments here. … Read more »
Flow Water Advocates formally urged the Michigan Public Service Commission to reject the proposed sale of 13 Michigan hydroelectric dams from Consumers Energy to a private equity–backed affiliate of Hull Street Energy. This transfer would place critical public water infrastructure — and the rivers and fisheries connected to it — in the hands of an… Read more »
This month, people across the globe celebrated Human Rights Day. Every year on December 10th, the world celebrates the anniversary of “one of the world’s most groundbreaking global pledges: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights [UDHR].” The UDHR was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, over 75 years ago, as a result… Read more »
Traverse City, Mich. — On December 17, the District Court for the Western District of Michigan issued its opinion in Enbridge v. Whitmer. The federal case was brought by the Canadian oil company to stop Michigan state officials from enforcing Governor Whitmer’s 2020 Notice of Revocation and Termination of the 1953 Easement for the operation… Read more »
by Liz Kirkwood, Executive Director For fourteen years, Flow Water Advocates has stood on a simple, powerful truth: The waters of the Great Lakes belong to everyone—and must be protected for all time. Not just for this generation. Not just for human use. But for the entire living water cycle that sustains our region, our… Read more »
